Dragondance
by Windsong
Summary: Discontinued. Sequel to Fur and Field.  This time, Hilaris's world is in danger, and she needs the Ronin's help. 50 percent more characters, fun, and better writing than the first story!  Alternate Universe like crazy, OCs.
1. Chapter 1

-runs around- I LIIIIIIIVE!

I know. I haven't written in a while. At least, not for Ronin Warriors. But here's the thing: I couldn't think of anything to write about. It seems that Avirilli was busy keeping all the yaoi bunnies that have taken up permanent residence in my head under some semblance of control…and trying to kill them all when they broke loose. Which would then cause all of them to sit on her and try to infest her, which always seemed to fail. -thinks on it- wonder why… 

Now I'm rambling, MOVING ON! My friend Shirley finally gave me an idea—entirely by accident, but it was an idea nonetheless. Thank you, Shirley.

Sorry for the wait on this. I was trying to wait until I felt that my writing style improved enough to write a sequel. Fur and Field was my first fanfic ever, and it sucks. Not bad for a first try. But it still sucks. There's a lot of stuff that I didn't include in Fur that I definitely should have…namely? I barely fleshed out Hil and Hali's characters. They were just kind of…there. -motions with hands- So, because I don't feel like rewriting Fur, I'm just going to include what I was trying to do with their characters in this fic. And yes, I'll work with them here. And maybe someday in the distant future I'll get around to rewriting Fur and Field. Maybe. Don't hold your breath.

Enough ranting. Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors. Hilaris, Halicyon, Serusin, and all of the messed up ideas I threw at you in Fur and Field are mine. So don't come knocking on my door unless you have a donation for the "Feed the hungry otaku" fund.

And no, suing is NOT a donation.

Enjoy!

* * *

Dragondance  
_By Windsong_  
**Chapter 1**  
Written 24 February 2004

The grey sky roiled with dark clouds, heavy with the promised autumn rain. The first rain of the fall season, to be precise. Autumns were always known for their tempestuous storms; maybe it was the same in her country, he reasoned, as he leaned his elbows against the balcony, looking at nothing in particular. _But I don't want to think about that,_ he told himself firmly, and looked up at the sky again as he shoved her—and everything about her—to the furthest corner of his mind.

As he scanned the dark sky, he could feel the air currents whipping by at its high speeds overhead. Letting his spirit fly, he felt a wild jubilation rising in his chest as he danced with the wind, and shivered slightly as he felt his magic, now freed from the restraints he struggled to keep upon it, fly upwards with his soul. As he looked up, his eyes unfocused and a slight smile on his face, the wind blew stronger around him in response to the release of his magic, blowing his dark blue hair every which way.

Since that last battle with Talpa, his magic—and the magic of all the others—had been growing increasingly stronger, as they struggled to gain control over it. They were getting better, but still not at the exact level that Hilaris and Halicyon were at—_but then again…they've been training all their lives._

His thoughts sent a wave of loneliness and slight frustration over him, bringing his mind back with a jarring thump. _Wait, I don't want to think about them!_ He growled to himself in frustration as he turned restlessly to lean his back against the balcony.

He smiled as he watched a small lightning bolt dash from one cloud to another, soon followed by a disgruntled rumble of thunder. He had always loved storms, ever since he was little; loved their uncontrolled, wild chaos as they completely took over the world for a few hours. Storms felt like a cleansing, a blessing; with storms, he could be free from all of his troubles as he sat in the rain, letting the cold streams run in rivulets down his body and spike his hair as it dripped from it slowly. Yeah, so it took him hours, sometimes, to dry off, and he would usually catch a cold. But for those timeless moments, he had no ties, no problems.

_Kind of like a storm falcon…_

"Agh!" He yelled, throwing his head back to glare at the sky, which rumbled indignantly in response. "I give up! Damnit, she promised, and she never breaks her promises, so she'll be here! So why the hell am I so worried?!"

Then he looked down at the glass doors in front of him, their white curtains blocking his view of the warm interior. "Because…it's been nearly a year since she left." _And all that that entails. What if she's been so caught up with restoring Serusin back to order that she's forgotten about the promise she's made me?_

_What if she's forgotten about me?_ His thoughts whispered.

He shook his head violently. "No, she hasn't. She won't have." And then his voice dropped to a whisper in an unconscious echo of his thoughts. "She couldn't have…"

His thoughts continued against his will, now rising to an insidious hiss. _But how do you know? She's probably forgotten all about you. How do you know you even meant that much to her? How do you know that it wasn't all just something that you imagined, that she really loved you?_

Finally, the cruelest thing of all. _What if she's forgotten that you even existed, and gone on to someone new?_

"Stop it!" He yelled at the storm clouds, shoving himself violently off of the balcony and beginning to pace, trying to get control over his doubts.

But they were only too true. What if she had forgotten? And what if she had found someone new? Better than him…better suited for her…

_Idiot!_ He could hear Hilaris yell in his mind, probably accompanied with a whack to the head with some kind of instrument—most likely her blue scarf, which she had taken to wearing in the last few weeks she stayed with them. _You're thinking too much! Think about something else! Like how you came out into the rain without a raincoat!_

Oh. Yeah. That.

But it had been so long since he had last felt a real storm. All they had been getting that summer was summer drought, mist, and light sunshowers so faint and short they might as well have been mist. It had nearly brought the country into a crisis, because there had been such little rain. So in reality, he wasn't the only one standing outside with insufficient protection, waiting for the rains to come and soak the dry land.

But he was probably the only person waiting for something else much more than he was waiting for the rains. Someone, actually.

Maybe his magic had sensed his aversion towards storms that year, and changed the weather patterns so that he would be reminded of her as little as possible. Heaven knows that he had such little control over his magic…and that every storm, he would have thought of her, and probably gotten everyone else in the household irritated at him and his "useless pining", as Mia had dubbed it.

_Then Mia probably would have asked Kento to douse me with a pail brimming with freezing ice water. Which is definitely _not _one of my favorite things. Getting drenched while fully clothed in the middle of a storm is one thing. Getting drenched while fully clothed...by Kento? Not fun._

He looked around for Sai. He knew that somewhere, he was outside, waiting as well…but he couldn't see him from his viewpoint. Sai wasn't half as doubtful as he was. For one, Hali was much more loving, more, well, kind than Hilaris seemed to be. Hilaris always seemed to be more aloof that Hali was, as least in the beginning. Later on, she was vibrant, full of mischevious insanity which, when combined with Kento's wicked sense of humor, set the stage for a lot of pranks in the house. They actually got kicked out of the house for the night a few times, when Mia had had enough of them._God, I miss them..._

Sai sighed as he sat in the middle of the backyard on Sage's meditation rock, keeping his mind relatively blank, except for the images of Hali that kept floating across it. It wasn't anything unusual; it had been happening for the past few months, her image appearing in her mind for a split second before receding to the darkness of his subconcious once more, maybe a remembered bit of her laughter, or of her body close to his. Small hints of her, enough to keep her alive in his memory, but not enough to obsess or irritate him. It was kind of interesting, really.

But now that he was going to see her soon, it was getting kind of irritating.

He wasn't like Rowen. He hadn't worried so much about them, about whether they were okay, whether Hali still loved him. I mean, he worried about them, naturally—but he also knew that she was quite capable of taking care of herself. And that she loved her? He rolled his eyes. He was quite certain that she did, and a the very least, he knew _he_ still loved _her_, so that wasn't even something to consider.

Technically...she hadn't exactly said that she would be coming. But where Hilaris was, there was a 99 chance that Hali would be there too, given that they were both Reserved armors, not to mention best friends and practically sisters in everything but blood—_What did Hali call it? War-sisters? Something like that. A tradition in Serusin, where you become bonded through the heat and strain of battle—ah, I don't remember. I'm sure I can ask her when she comes._

When _is it going to rain?!_ He thought with some irritation. He could feel the rain hanging heavy in the clouds overhead, and the promise of it tormented him. He wanted to call it to him, but, he thought, it was probably better not to mess with the weather and let it run its natural course. If nothing else, he had learned that when you messed with nature, strange, often dangerous, and always unforeseeable things happened. So he grumbled to himself, and sat down to wait.

Suddenly, Rowen's thoughts were cut short as three things simultaneously happened: The sky roared, and the heavens opened up like a waterfall with not individual raindrops, but whole sheets of water that drenched him to the skin instantly.

And a bright silver portal opened up about ten feet above his head.

Lightning flashed, and along with it the portal disappeared, leaving a sub-armored figure floating in the air where it had been, before it began to drop directly towards him.

He caught Hilaris' limp figure as she fell into his arms. She was bruised and her right cheek sported a shallow cut. Her sub-armor was covered with soot and ash, and scratched in a few places. Her hair was tangled, also dusted with ash quickly turning to dark muck in the rain, and much longer than it had been before she left.

"Hilaris! Hilaris, are you okay? What happened?" He held her close, nearly frantic at her state.

Dazedly she opened her brilliant silver eyes, and raised them to his own shocked gaze. Her eyes were the same. Wild, untamed, with deep sorrow hiding there, and wry humor too, as she looked up at him. But there was also fondness, joy, and…love. But shadowing that joy was pain, and there were worry lines around her eyes and forehead that had not been there when she had left.

She stirred, only to freeze and shut her eyes tightly as she moaned weakly in pain. She cursed softly in her language before he opened her eyes and managed a watery smile.

"I came back…" she whispered faintly, almost too faint to hear over the storm, before her head fell back as she fainted.

Rowen rushed into the house, yelling for Sage.

* * *

And there you have it. First chapter! I finally wrote it! Yaaaaaaaay! Dances Y'know, I've had the first chapter laid out in my head for a long time—it came to be before I even finishedFur and Field, as a matter of fact. I just didn't want to write it until I had a story to tack on after it.

I'm really happy I started writing these characters again. Anyways, PLEASE C&C, I'd really like to know what you think. Like it? Am I OOC? I think I am, a little…for Rowen, anyways. Hil IS OOC, in comparison to Fur, because, as I said, this is what I was trying to do with her character and failed to do miserably. sigh So R&R!

Anyways, ja ne! runs off

Windsong - windsong 137 at gmail dot com

_"I'm seriously broke! I'm eating generic cafeteria raisins...what does that tell you?!" Valerie_


	2. Chapter 2

I never said I was sane. Here's where I start to get weird again. You know, like how I got all weird in Fur and Field with all the A/U stuff? Well, if that wasn't enough for you, I jump right into it in this chapter. So buckle your seatbelts, kiddies, you're in for a wild ride! -evil grin- 

Take note that I jump around time crazily in this chapter. The bold&italicized words refer to how long ago the following events took place before Hilaris' and Halicyon's return to earth—the "present" time in the story. I will follow this layout for the following chapters as well, so please keep it in mind.

And yes. The "Kayura" in this chapter is Lady Kayura from the series.

Disclaimer: Everything in the original Ronin Warriors series isn't mine. Everything that wasn't in the original series is mine, and don't you go stealing it.

_Pronounciation Key:__  
(Two r's denotes a trilled r; a ' means the two syllables are blended, said as closely together as possible)_  
Cyatanacea "see'yah-tah-na-SE-ah"  
Cyatans "SEE'YAH-tahns"  
Kyrghan "KEERR-gan"  
Kicqpa "KEEK-pah"  
Ksallai "kih'SAH-lai"  
Inokian "ih-NO-kee-an"  
Kionden "kee-ON-den"  
Hilaris "hih-LER-is"  
Halicyon "HAHL-ee-see-on"

Enjoy!

* * *

Dragondance  
_By Windsong_  
**Chapter 2**  
Written 26 February 2004

_**Five Months Ago:**_

Cyatanacea was a world that was usually called an "isolated world" by the other worlds. Because that's what it was. Completely cut off from all worlds, because there was no gate to aid in the transfer of nonmagical creatures—be those creatures human or beast—from Cyatanacea to other worlds. Because of this, as a whole Cyatans didn't know about the other worlds. Of course, there were legends—but any well-informed, perfectly sane person could tell you that the old legends were purely flights of fantasy, stories meant to scare children into obedience with. Their answer would probably be accompanied with a strange, or condescending look, or a laugh if you were lucky (Cyatans were not known for their senses of humor). Of course the stories weren't real. Cyatans were also quite practical, and not known for their imaginations, or particularly strong magic. They were also fearful of things they didn't entirely understand.

Because of its isolation from the other worlds, Cyatanacea was very poor, and the world's geography didn't help. It was mainly water, with scatterings of quite small islands and a solitary, not-very-big continent. The land was quite fertile–-but there was only so much land to go around, and eventually Cyatanacea became too overcrowded for the land to support.

There was one other problem. Of all the known worlds, Cyatanacea had the highest concentration of magical creatures. And, because Cyatans were not magical, they could not fully understand these creatures–-and because they feared the unknown, they feared the magical creatures greatly. Well, in varying degrees, of course.

There were three types of magical creatures: Lightres, Darkos, and Highbreds. Lightres were quite weak physically, but they were very powerful in magic, because magic in their world could only be used to its furthest extent by pure creatures they were very helpful to humans, aiding in any way they could. All you needed to do was ask—if you had the courage. Cyatans were probably the least afraid of Lightres, but they were afraid nonetheless. Darkos were their opposite. Quite strong, but because of their evil natures they could only use the most rudimentary spells. They were violent, brutal, and highly territorial; they killed anything that trespassed upon their claimed land. These were the most highly feared, and they were generally avoided. Lastly, there were the Highbreds. They were balanced, knowing a goodly amount of spells but also having a lot of physical power, usually due to their large size. They were also territorial and the lands they claimed were large, in proportion with their size—but although they would kill you if you hunted or settled on their land, if you came to them for help they would generally be agreeable if you were polite. There had once been many Highbreds, but for some reason or another, they had all died out, leaving only one final race—the dragons.

As the population grew to the breaking point, the people directed their anger towards what they already naturally feared, the magical creatures. They started with the Darkos; overwhelming them with power, and then taking over their land. And this satisfied them for a while.

But then the land there was exhausted as well, and so they turned their destruction towards the Lightres, claiming they were eating up the land's resources, and killing and enslaving them into menial work–-for a mage (there were a few mages, but they were treated as outcasts and slaves) had created a collar that could control magic.

But when the people started turning on the Lightres, there were people that spoke out against it. They did not believe that the Lightres were to blame, and saw other ways to deal with the situation. Like–-having birth control so that only one child could be born per family (why should we limit ourselves? people demanded. It is our right to populate this world!)

Others remembered ancient legends that spoke of "gates"—things that could link to other worlds. Why don't we try to find these gates, they asked, and send some of our population there? (People just scoffed at this. Legends? They replied, scornfully. Legends are never true! Only ideas to scare little children with. Besides, magic is foul, and all magical creatures—whether they are helpful or harmful—do not belong here. They belong in Legends—not here!)

Thousands and thousands of Lightres were either enslaved until they died on their lifestyles of overwork and starvation, or just killed.

The Highbreds remembered the Legends as well, but they saw the truth in them. And they searched along with the remaining Lightres to find the spells that would activate the ancient gates. At last, a single gate was opened—but only one, because the magical drain was too strong. And the gate was weak, and wouldn't last for long. So the Highbreds allowed the Lightres to go through first, because, they reasoned, the Lightres were being attacked...and besides, the Highbreds would have no qualms about killing humans if it came to that, while the Lightres refused to.

On the twenty-third day of Eroi, the fifth month, the gate suddenly collapsed, sending out a huge light and a shockwave of power that didn't destroy anything, but terrified the Cyatans. Do you see? Some cried. They are angry at us for killing them, and we will all die! If you had only listened to us—Quiet! The others roared. They are retaliating, the stupid beasts, but they will soon learn they are no match for us!

But then they realized that they only had one "enemy" left: the dragons. And no one really knew what to do with them. Truth be told, no one had ever known what to do with them, really. You went to them when you had an insolvable problem. But you left them alone because they were so...unpredictable. But everyone silently agreed that they didn't want to attack the Dragons before they absolutely had to. And that's where they had left it. They had food enough to last for at least five years, if they managed things correctly; they had fertile land; and there were no more Lightres or Darkos to feed or give up land to. Only the dragons.

But the five years had passed, and the food supply was running dangerously low once more. It seemed that times of desperation were coming back.

- - - - -

_**Three Months Ago:**_

The dragons were called together in a council, one that hadn't been called in at least five hundred years. Kayura's large, slit-pupil eyes saddened as she looked around. She was one of the last to arrive, but it didn't feel that way. The large Cave of Highborn, arcane meeting place of the Dragons, was made for thousands of creatures, but only about twenty dragons were left to answer the call. Everyone else had gone through the gate. It was better in the long run, because their small numbers meant that they would have some time before the humans got desperate enough to attack them. But logic couldn't drive away the loneliness that chilled her bones as much as the mountain ice did. Kayura let out a smokeless sigh and thought, _A lot of us left before the Gate collapsed...even my son, Kyreen._ Her mind formed the prayer for luck and hope, as it had done countless times over the past few years. _I wish I could have followed...but it was more important that the Lightres leave, and we that remain don't have enough magic to create our own gate._

She dropped into a curled half-crouching position, flitting out her left wing in an experimental stretch. She had gotten it torn a few months ago, fighting a particularly nasty Darkos. Even though it gave her a certain smug satisfaction to know that she had slit the stupid thing's throat herself, she cursed it anyway—her wing _still_ hurt!

"Well...why have we been called here?" hissed Kyrghan. He was creaky, by far the oldest dragon there. His bitterness at his withered state had shadowed his spirit and soured its purity, making him one of the weakest dragons. He should have left with the others, but being as stubborn as his namesake, he refused to give up his homeland to "stupid two-leggers".

"Because," said Kahlan. She rose to her hind legs, her tail curling neatly around her feet. "We have to decide what we're going to do with ourselves. Do we fight off the humans?"

Kyrghan's tail slowly swished across the floor. "Sounds good to me," he growled.

"Hush, Kyr," murmured Kicqpa, his blue eyes eerily reflecting the firelight. "And that's silly. The entire point is that we don't want a confrontation, isn't it?"

"Exactly so," Kayura jumped in. "I have another suggestion, but it's going to be hard to pull off..."

"Well, let's hear it, said Ksallai, his tawny-golden claws making distracted clicking noises as he settled himself into a more comfortable position. "We're here to discuss ideas, aren't we?"

"Why don't we try sending out a help-call?"

She was gifted with nineteen blank stares. "What?" Kahlan asked blankly.

"A help-call—a telepathic sending that's strong enough to breach worlds, and it'll reach anyone who can help," she explained. "But it will require more energy than we have by ourselves."

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Kicqpa sighed. "How can we do it without enough energy?"

Ksallai's eyes narrowed. "Unless you want to use a sacrifice to raise power—"

"No!" Kayura said quickly, before the glares and accusations could start. "No dragon would ever stoop that low! But—I had another idea. What if we asked the human mages to help?"

"WHAT?!"

"Wait, wait, listen to me!" She called, using the higher range of her voice to cut through the gathering uproar. "They're as oppressed as the Lightres were! And if we say that they're helping us to leave, they would help! It benefits everyone if we leave, so there's no reason for them to refuse us."

"And who would ask?" Ksallai asked scathingly. "You?"

"Of course. It's my idea. It's only right." Kayura replied smoothly.

Before the derisive laughter could grow into more than amused looks, Kahlan snorted. "Fine. _You_ try it. We have enough time to think of something else if your idea fails. But if you get into trouble, don't expect us to bail you out."

"Oh, I don't expect to need any," Kayura said, lowering her head to touch her snout briefly to the floor before exiting.

- - - - -

_**Two Months Ago:**_

After a suitable period of time had passed, the dragons called another meeting. When Kayura entered, she had several hundred human mages in tow, following her like a moving, multicolored carpet.

"You managed it!" Kicqpa said excitedly.

Kyrghan growled lazily, "And what'd you do to them? Corerce 'em?"

"Don't be stupid." Kayura snapped, as the human mages huddled together, looking up fearfully at the other dragons. They were nervous, and they had every right to be; dragons' reputation preceded them. "I told you, both sides can only gain. And besides...if we leave, they want to come with us." Kayura glared at Kyrghan. _And hold your tongue, Kyrghan...unless you want to lose it. I'm more powerful than you, Elder or not, and we_need _these human-mages!_

Kyrghan arrogantly met her glare. _And you would do to hold yours, __**hatchling**_, he replied, slow anger in his voice. _I'm not stupid._

_Oh, really?_ she snapped, and before he could get the last word in she continued. "Now that we're all here, shall we begin the help-call ceremony?"

- - - - -

_**Three Months Ago:**_

Kionden tried his best to keep his breathing even as he and Inokian reached the top of the hill. They could have probably summoned mounts to make their traveling easier, but since when have monks ever traveled by horseback?

They were wandering this world, looking for an enclave of destructive magical creatures that had been wreaking havoc on nearby towns. They hadn't found anything yet, but they figured it was only a matter of time. After all, you had two very powerful mages walking _very slowly_. Anyone that stupid was probably untrained, and anyone untrained was easy prey and easy power. The creatures would probably come to them.

"What exactly do you know about these things anyway?" Inokian asked as they walked.

"According to the villagers, they're big and have lots of teeth. They seem to be more about attacking physically than actually using magic, but their magic is wide-range and highly destructive. And no one has ever seen what they look like. They move too fast."

"Fast, hm..." Inokian chewed on her lip absently as she leaned on her staff. "Too fast to use paralysis-spells, I bet. Perhaps if we could cast acceleration spells on ourselves..."

"They'd only be able to last for a little while; we're not used to that much speed. It would hurt our bodies after a while."

"But if we move at their speed long enough to cast a paralysis spell—"

"Good idea," Kionden agreed, smiling at his sister. "We've gotten better at this."

"Yeah, well, maybe you have," she laughed. "I don't remember a thing about paralysis spells."

"...Um, neither do I."

Inokian stopped in her tracks. "You don't? Ah, hell!"

Kionden laughed. "Guess we'll just have to think of something els—WATCH OUT!"

Inokian threw herself to the side, barely dodging the razor-sharp claw that rent the air where her neck had been. Yelling, she tried to smack it with her staff, but it was too fast and flitted away before she could land a hit. "Thought of something else yet?!" she yelped.

"Close your eyes!"

"What?!"

"Close your eyes and work by sound! I'm going to try something!"

Obediently, she closed her eyes, stretching out her magic to fill the area around her. She heard a hissing above her, and a distinctive blank spot in her magic spoke of magical shielding; she jumped out of range and then back in again, dodging its outstretched paw and managing to get a grip on a claw. Surprised, the creature let out a whistling shriek and jerked its paw upwards, aiming for her throat. It was too fast for her to dodge, and her hand clenched convulsively, fighting to slow the thing down. _I'm going to dieeeeeee!_ her mind screamed before a flash of light seared her eyelids, making the creature scream in pain and fall over. As it collapsed, she felt a sudden flash of fiery pain streak across her neck.

Inokian opened her eyes and jumped away from the creature, shuddering, clapping a hand to the shallow, long scratch on her neck. "So? What did you think of?"

"Light. They're probably dark-elementals, which is why they attack more than use magic—since we're high up north, there's no darkness for the next three months. They're magic's drained, so they have to attack more. Concentrated light kills them."

"Works for me," Inokian shrugged, struggling to slow her racing heartbeat. "I'm just glad I'm not monster fodder!" Laughing nervously, the siblings began their return to the town, to rest up and tell the villagers of their findings.

* * *

End of chapter two! And I told you I was nuts! cackles

Yes, there is a reason that Kayura is a dragon. Don't worry. Everything has a reason. I promise...

Kyrghan: "Goat" or "Ram" in Dracon, with a positive slant to the word. "Kyr" means "little goat," but when people use it on Kyrghan they use it in a mildly insulting manner—it's like calling an elder "boy." When dragons reach adulthood, one of the rites is to choose a use-name. "Kayura" means "flow", with connotations to hint at "river" and "wind". "Kicqpa" means something bursting into sharp light-reflecting fragments, like an exploding star, or a fisted claw opening. "Ksallai" means a moonless night, perfect stillness, stealth. "Kahlan" is related to mother-attributes—gentleness, love, care, hope; it also means sunlight, and righteous anger. And all dragon use-names start with "K." The "K" sound is pleasing to draconian ears, and a coveted, well-loved sound; therefore, they name themselves with the sound they love best. Yes, "Kahlan" is an obvious tribute to the Sword of Truth series. All of you go read it. First book in the series is "Wizard's First Rule". Go read it. NOW! kicks ...After you watch Gravitation, of course. ;;-

And FYI: Inokian and Kionden are not on Cyatanacea. They're on some other world.

Well, ja mata ne!

-Windsong - windsong 137 at gmail dot com

"Hamlet...in a mosh pit." -Mr. Roundy


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three! Whee.

Well, disclaimers, _again,_ oh how I hate repeating myself: Anything that's in the original storyline of Ronin Warriors/Yoroiden Samurai troopers isn't mine. Anything else (Hilaris, Halicyon, Gazun, Nanti, and all the inhabitants of Cyatanacea, including dragon!Kayura) _is_ mine, and may not be used without my _express_ permission, in writing, no less.

Avirilli: Muaha. You're getting better at this.  
Windsong: Well, four years of writing fics will do that to you...  
Avirilli: Four years? Then why do you still suck?  
Windsong: ...Shut up! -cries in the corner-  
Avirilli: -sigh- Stop whining and write! -whacks with wand-  
Windsong: OW! Okay, I'm writing, slave driver...  
Avirilli: WHAT DID YOU SAY?!  
Windsong: Meeeeep! -runs-

Well, um, enjoy! -runs for her life-

* * *

Dragondance  
_By Windsong_  
**Chapter 3**  
Written 28 February 2004

Sage looked out the window at the water that pelted the window with the sound of a large mallet hitting something very soft. He was very comfortable, and quite happy to be inside, where it was warm and _dry._

Then he was startled out of his chair and onto his feet when he heard Rowen's voice yelling his name hoarsely. "What's wrong?!" He yelled in reply, running for the stairs.

He stopped short as he saw Hilaris's bedraggled body in Rowen's arms, before his training took over. "Put her down the bed," he ordered, "and get me a blanket."

Kneeling down beside her, he heard Sai also yelling for him. "Upstairs!" He called back, fairly sure that Halicyon was in the same state. He gently put his hands on her head and closed his eyes, falling into his power, directing it through his hands and into her body. There were a few internal wounds, not life threatening, but serious nonetheless, as well as—burns? Where the hell did she pick up those?—And a few bruises and cuts, some of which managed to get through her armor. He blinked._That must have been a really sharp blade..._

He sent his power, a pale almost-white green to his magical sight, through her body, pooling around the damage, binding flesh and soothing burns and knitting together muscle, speeding up her healing process. There would be no scarring from the burns—he had gotten to her soon enough to prevent it, and the burns weren't _that_ serious. And there would be no lasting damage, but they left him with a lot of questions as to where she had gotten all of these wounds.

When he came out of healing trance, feeling slightly exhausted, she was still unconscious, and her tan skin was paler than it should have been, but she looked okay. Rowen was standing over them, looking frantic.

"Put the blanket over her, and stay close," he told Rowen, and stood to tend to Hali.

- - - - -

He was coming.

Silently stalking them, she knew that when he found them they would die.

Hilaris cowered behind a large piece of a shattered boulder, slick with blood and moisture, and shivered uncontrollably. The heavy mists that clung close to everything congealed into icy streams of water, dripping inside of her armor to mix with the blood pooling there and chill her to the core.

She had been fighting for so long that her mind had blanked completely. She couldn't remember anything but fighting and fear. She hadn't lost her memory; her mind was simply too fatigued to think of anything else. The mists that wreathed the outside world had permeated her mind as well, clouding everything but the present.

She felt the blind, cold terror pound in her soul in time to her heartbeat. He was coming. And there was nothing they would do. They couldn't run any farther, and they had no energy left to fight him with. The fear slunk through her mind, a predator on the prowl, hissing in her mental ear all her secret fears, her weaknesses...all the reasons why she was about to die.

Halicyon leaned against her side. Her eyes were half-open and devoid of consciousness. She had pulled everything inward to try and heal herself with the small amount of energy she had left. Her armor couldn't help her, because she wasn't a plant, but Hilaris' armor could, which is why Hali was leaning on her. Hilaris squeezed her eyes closed. They had too many wounds; it would take hours for them to get into working condition. _One more reason why we're going to die._

On her other side lay her mother, Nanti. She wore a lighter version of the traditional armor of the Samurai, in the house colors of royal purple and silver. Her hands convulsively clenched and unclenched around the handle of her glaive, but that was the only thing belying her fear. Her hazel eyes were wide open and keenly alert, ablaze with the strength of her determination and will. In all her life, Hilaris had never, ever seen her mother admit defeat, and she didn't seem ready to give up now. But there was nothing else _but_ defeat. They were going to die, and that was it. There wasn't a decision to be made.

"Hilaris," her mother whispered. Her low voice, usually a velvet purr, came out in a harsh rustle. "Pull Halicyon out of it and run...I'll be able to distract him long enough to give you two time to escape."

"D-distract? What are you—"

"You know very well what I'm talking about," Nanti snapped. "Now wake her up, he'll be on us any minute. The mist isn't going to keep us hidden for much longer."

Silver eyes locked onto hazel, and held for a moment. For a moment, the hazel softened and shifted to a warm chestnut. _Goodbye,_ the soft gaze said. Then the hazel returned. "Get on with it!" She gave her daughter a sharp mental shove.

Shaken, Hilaris reached for Halicyon's mind-link and ran down it, searching for her. When she found her, Hali was on the verge of hysteria.

_It's like trying to make a boat made of holes watertight!_ She screamed. _Help me!_

_Hali, there's no time!_ Hilaris sent back. _Come back, you're well enough to run...and he's coming!_

The environment seemed to contract as a wave of fear flashed through Hali's green-gold eyes, but she bit down on the scream before it had time to surface, instead sending the extra energy in a rush to heal a torn muscle in her arm. With the power of adrenaline, it knitted up almost instantly. _Let's go!_ She cried, and she ran ahead of Hilaris back to reality.

As soon as Hilaris opened her eyes and took in the blasted landscape once again, a wave of sheer emptiness washed over her magical senses. Somehow, the fire and will in her mother's eyes grew stronger. "Ready?" she asked the two girls.

Halicyon shook uncontrollably, but nodded as she took Hilaris' hand.

Nanti's soul briefly brushed theirs, a hawk's shadow moving swiftly past, before she threw herself out from behind the boulder and dispelled the mist she had called.

"TALPA!" She roared, "Talpa Gazun, traitor to your world and your people and your kin, Talpa, traitor to life and all that is holy, Talpa, cursed Polashi, doomed to wander the halls of eternity forever! I name you! Gazun Monoceros, I name thee and I challenge thee!" Her voice rang through the unholy stillness like an avenging angel, the language flowing smoother as she switched to the arcane speech. "Come hence, Gazun, Talpa, Polashi, outcast of the heavens! Come forth, Talpa, thou whom not even the lowest hells accept! COME FORTH!"

- - - - -

Hilaris' eyes snapped open as she gasped for air, coughing as the air scratched harshly against her raw lungs. As she sat up, still hacking, she could feel the tears on her face, and her hand jerked up to claw them away before a spasm of pain arced through her body. Before she could wince or resist, a hand gently wrapped around her shoulders and wiped away her tears with a soft cloth. Sai's face appeared in her field of view, smiling gently at her.

"Rough time of it, ne?" he asked quietly.

She tried to draw a breath to answer, but she breathed too fast and made her cough again. Sai held her upright until the coughing subsided. "Easy," he warned. "You're going to have to breathe delicately for the next few days, until you can heal properly. Sage did the best he could, but...well."

She smiled back at him. "Thanks," she said, more breath than voice.

Sai's expression darkened, worry clear on her features. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," she replied. "I've stayed sane this long, haven't I?"

Sai grinned. "I don't know...have you?" Then he stood and left. _Bet he's going to pay a visit to his lady-love,_ Hilaris thought. _That reminds me...Hali?_

_How long have you been awake?_ Halicyon replied, her mental voice fuzzed with exhaustion.

_Just came back a few minutes ago._

_Hil...dreams again?_

_Yeah...but at least I didn't finish them this time._

_Well, that's an improvement,_ Halicyon conceded. _Listen, we're going to have to tell them eventually...when do you think you'll feel up to it?_

_Depends. Without my armor, a week. With my armor, two days. Can you link in with me? I can call it if you help me, and then it can heal both of us._

_Oh. You were having _that _dream,_ Hali sighed._Well, can't deny that it's a good idea..._

- - - - -_  
_

_**Two months ago:**_

Kicqpa wobbled dangerously as he flew in for a landing. Before he could land fully, his wings collapsed and he landed in a heap on the floor, making a high-pitched _skreee_ sound where his hide skidded across the polished stone floor. "Kicqpa!" Kahlan called in a high cry as she ran to her mate, her nails clicking frantically on the floor as she moved.

After the calling, all the dragons had decided to live together in the meeting hall, and just fly to their territories to gather food. Since they were leaving soon anyway, they reasoned, there was no great need to protect their territory any more. The human mages, getting their first taste of a life of freedom and independence, flatly refused to go back to their old lives, and eventually convinced the dragons to let them stay.

That was a serious mistake, but by the time the dragons realized it, it was too late to do anything about it. They played too heavily on humans' density; Cyatans suddenly realized that all their mages had gone missing, and immediately blamed the dragons. Those more magically sensitive also had intensely painful headaches when the dragons and mages sent out the help-call. Cyatans immediately assumed that the mages had turned traitor, allying themselves with the dragons and were currently plotting to kill them all.

With that in mind, they began to plan against the dragons and mages. They created new magic-harnessing collars by taking the smaller ones they had left over from the now-vanished Lightres and melting them together into larger, dragon-sized collars. They left a few human-sized, for the turncoat mages. Armed with their best armor and weapons, they began to prepare for an attack.

The dragons were greatly disturbed, but they decided to watch—and wait. Cyatans had never banded together before, and they wanted to see what they would do. Besides, perhaps they would stop preparing to attack once they realized that the dragons had _not_ attacked.

That was the final mistake they had made. Cyatans are stubborn beyond belief, and instead of stopping, the dragons' reluctance gave them enough time to fully prepare and launch their attack. They had started today.

"Kicqpa, hold on!" Kahlan cried as the mages and dragons rushed over, the humans neatly dodging between the large draconian limbs. "Kayura, you're the best healer of all of us;_do_ something!"

Kicqpa gasped out his story as Kayura healed him. His territory had been chosen for attack. When he had gone there to hunt, he had been greeted by acres of burning forest. Confused, Kicqpa had gone lower, to see what was going on, only to be greeted with a torrential, unending hail of fire-hardened arrows and great gouts of flame leaping for the sky. As Kayura finished healing him, his eyes lightened from their dark, murky, indigo color to their usual light blue. "Thank you," he sighed, before falling asleep, to finish the healing.

"They have grown stupider as the years have gone by," Ksallai growled, "only stupider. How dare they attack the dragons? They will learn to fear when they meet a dragon enraged!"

"And whose fault is that?" Kyrghan said bitterly, his black eyes snapping at the human mages. "Who was it that convinced us to watch and wait? I said attack, but no, don't listen to one who has seen more than any—"

"If you do not shut up, Kyrghan, I will slit your throat myself," Kuneril rumbled, his deep, rarely-heard voice shaking the floor in his anger. "Keep your bitterness to yourself, and do not taint us as well. We gave them a chance, and we made a mistake. Mistakes happen. We will deal with this new problem. Our help-call will be answered soon, yes?" He turned to Kayura, and she nodded in reply. "Then we have only to hold on a little while longer. This is just one more thing to overcome."

While Kicqpa slept and Kahlan kept a careful watch over him, the rest of them planned. They could not be assaulted here, in the Cave of Highborn; it was too far north, isolated even on this crowded world, separated by cold and magic. Any traveling by foot could not hope to even come within a mile of the mountain. As a result, they would stay here, and protect only the land that Ksallai and Kyrghan held—they were adjoining territories and the easiest to defend, and should be able to provide enough food for everyone until help arrived.

As she rested in her hollow that night, her mind turned with uneasy thoughts. They had enough power to send out the help call, yes, but they could not send out a strong call, nor an articulate one. The strength of the call was not so important—it meant that only those with very strong magic could hear it, which would mean that they would get strong help. But because they could not really say what the problem was, they would come to Cyatanacea with no idea of what was going on. They were as likely to help the humans as to help the dragons and mages.

Kayura rested her head on her forepaws, and heaved a smoky sigh. The only thing Kayura could do was watch, wait, and hope that _they_ would find whomever responded first.

* * *

See you next chapter, whenever that is.

-Windsong windsong 137 [at gmail [dot com

"You mean we get a fridge?! A BIG ONE?!" -Dom, exulting over his new college dorm XD


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